


Three Simple Ways To Get To Know Someone, Inside And Out!

by traptrixnepenthes



Category: Future Card Buddyfight
Genre: M/M, Medical Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-01
Updated: 2016-09-01
Packaged: 2018-08-12 10:44:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7931629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/traptrixnepenthes/pseuds/traptrixnepenthes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Want to find out something about someone that no one else knows about? Doctor Gara will teach you a simple way to get anything out of anyone!</p><p>(dear bushiroad employee that reads the ao3 tag: please don't read this one)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Three Simple Ways To Get To Know Someone, Inside And Out!

When Tasuku awoke, the only thing he could see was a blank metal ceiling above him. He’d seen a ceiling like that before, during his time in Disaster. A chill washed through him and he tried to move, get up, _run_ , but restraints held him down.  


“Nice to see you’re _fiiiinally_ awake, Tasuku _darling_.” Tasuku’s head was free, but even craning it around he couldn’t see who was talking to him. It didn’t _sound_ like it was coming from a speaker...

“...Kyoya?”

A hand slammed down hard next to his ear, and a face shoved its way centimeters away from his, bordered by poisonous green, breath smelling of sickly sweet candy. “Wrong answer, sweetcheeks. Y’know, what’s it say about you that you thought I was _Kyoya_ from this setup?”

 _Doctor Gara_. He’d faced this criminal before, but that was in battle, not strapped to what was probably an operating table. But what was a former cop if he showed fear in the face of the enemy? “Why are you doing this?”

Gara laughed, a harsh sound, and moved to sit on the edge of the table. Now Tasuku could get a better look at him--a sharp grin too wide to look natural, gold eyes darkened by lack of sleep and stretched wide by whatever kept him awake this long. Tasuku had never been given clearance to join the Gara investigation due to the reasoning that he was “too young” to “face such horrors” but he knew the basics--Doctor Gara was a gifted scientist whose practices had suddenly veered into seemingly random research, dangerous and questionable experiments, and lethal operations staged on subjects grabbed off the street. An aggressive and skilled fighter, he’d never been in custody, and eluded the police through connections and blackmailing those in power. Altogether, Doctor Gara was a danger to society at large, and Tasuku was currently well within his clutches.

“Well y’see, I was just taking this niiiice little walk around the island, when a _ll of a sudden_ , who should I find but a cute little officer, curled up in his bed without a care in the world! It’s not often I find a cop that can relax _soooo_ much when they know I’m around, ya know? What would you _do_ if I snapped up your precious buddy right under your nose?”

Tasuku's blood turned to ice. Had he inadvertently put Jack in harm’s way? “If you--If you did _anything_ to--”

“Oh, don’t you fret, dear! I didn’t have any interest in an old fart like _that_.” Gara pulled out a lollipop and popped it into his mouth, words muffled around it. “I’m more interested in _you_.”  


That was a relief, although not as much of one as it could’ve been. But as long as Jack was safe... “I wouldn’t want you to get your hopes up, Doctor. I’m not looking for a boyfriend right now.”

The doctor barked a laugh, plucking the lollipop from his mouth and jabbing it at Tasuku in one smooth motion. “Too bad you’re _already mine_ , huh? Completely at my mercy. Just like that _power_ you have. What’s it called again...Disaster Force?”

Gara’s grin twisted cruelly, and Tasuku’s eyes narrowed at the dig. “You’ve been misinformed. It’s called the Future Force.”

“Ah, _that’s_ right! The Future Force.” It was mocking, and Gara just looked all the more amused by it. “A power from the _future_! A power that lets you make the effects of the cards real _now_ because of all you’ll be able to do _later_!” He stuck the lollipop back in his mouth, toying with the stick contemplatively. “Why do you have it? Why does _anyone_ have it? Why don’t _I_ have it? And,” he pulled the lollipop out of his mouth again and started tapping it against Tasuku’s cheek, sticky and gross, “what would happen if a _monster_ had that power?”  


Tasuku leaned his head away, as far as he could in the restraints, and said, “These aren’t exactly sanitary working conditions, Doctor.”

Gara paused, as if surprised by that response, and then started laughing, harder and harder until it echoed through the corners of the room, as if Tasuku had told the most hilarious joke he’d ever heard. The doctor changed grip on the lollipop and stabbed it into Tasuku’s mouth, too-sweet pineapple and pain in his mouth, and Gara slammed a fist down by Tasuku’s head. His voice, rough and heavy and almost murderous, growled, “I’d say it’s been working out for me so far, wouldn’tcha?”

Tasuku tried to spit the lollipop back into Gara’s face, but a gloved hand just shoved it deeper into his mouth. “You can quit with all the interruptions, babycakes. After all, we’re about to get _started_!”

The doctor crouched down out of sight, and when he stood again he was holding something that looked very much like it wasn’t a medical device. Gara hefted the power drill with one hand and pulled the trigger, grinning wickedly, and a high pitched, too-loud _whirrrrrr_ filled the room as he brought the drill down just inches from Tasuku’s temple. “Why don’t we begin with that _pretty_ little head of yours?”

In his years as an officer, Tasuku had trained hard to not show fear, even in the most dire of situations. It was what kept him cool-headed against even the most violent of criminals, those who’d try to attack him directly, and those who’d try to assault him for being who he is. It was something he prided himself on, but right now all that pride, all that training was nowhere to be found. Icy-cold waves of fear washed through him as he struggled desperately against the restraints binding him to the table, trying to get away _get away_ **_get away_** from the sound of the drill pressing closer to him and the sound of Gara cackling above him, but the restraints stayed firm and the drill didn’t waver, getting closer and _closer_ until it...turned off.

“Juuuust kidding! It just wouldn’t do to have to dying _now_ when you’ll be such a good subject _later_!” Gara carelessly dropped the drill on the floor, kicking it away towards a wall. “Aww, did you get so scared you started _cryyyying_? You really are just a sweet lil’ kid, aren’t you, my dear Tasuku?”

He wanted to respond, throw angry, confident words back at the doctor like he had before, but Tasuku was shaking too badly to say anything. What would he say, anyways? He opened his mouth-- _let me go, don’t do this, stop, why are you doing this, why me_ \--and Gara shoved the lollipop down into his mouth again, the flavor of pineapple almost choking him.

“I _said_ no more interruptions.” The doctor produced another lollipop, which was immediately popped into his mouth, a syringe, a rubber strap, and several vials. “Well, they’ll be a bit high in adrenaline from my little _prank_ , but let’s get these samples first. Ever played doctor before, _Tasuku_?”  


The rubber strap was pulled securely around his forearm, and seeing Gara doing normal doctor things was almost relaxing after being threatened with a drill to the skull. Tasuku laughed, shakily, at how absurd it seemed--it reminded him of when he’d had to get his blood drawn the last time he’d returned from Dragon World, to make sure he hadn’t picked up anything weird. Boring, routine. Maybe the rest would be like this.

Not likely.

“O _ho_ , getting into it now, aaaare we?” Gara grinned wide, and slipped the needle into Tasuku’s skin, so delicately he barely felt it. Delicate hands, delicate work. Vials switched out as they filled. “I can’t have that, y’know? Let’s do something to _wake you up_.”  


A new vial was put in, and then immediately Gara’s free hand snapped to Tasuku’s neck, squeezing tight, and the cop tried to jerk away to no avail. “Uh-oh, better not move too much! Do that with a needle in your arm and you could get a _naaaasty_ bruise, or much, _much_ worse!”

Even with that warning, Tasuku struggled against it anyways, trying to reach up to pull Gara’s hand away even as his wrists pressed painfully against the restraints around them, even as he could feel the sides of the needle pressing against his skin, and all the doctor did was laugh. Tasuku tried again to say something--to ask, no, _beg_ for this to stop now, to at least not be conscious for this, but Gara just squeezed tighter and shoved Tasuku’s neck down onto the table until he thought it’d break, and maybe, just _maybe_ , if this went on long enough, he’d get knocked out and wouldn’t have to suffer through this anymore.

“Oh, it’s done!” No such luck. Gara’s hand released and Tasuku greedily sucked in air, only faintly aware of the needle being pulled out of his arm and the rubber strap coming off. “Well, isn’t _that_ much better? You’re good and awake now, _aaaaren’t_ you?”  


“Why...” Tasuku’s voice sounded weak as he mumbled around the lollipop, even to himself. “Why are you doing this? Why are you doing this to _me_? I--I haven’t done anything to deserve this!”  


Gara finished putting the vials of Tasuku’s blood safely away, and then turned back to him, gazing at him almost...lovingly? “Oh, _Tasuku_ , my _dear_ , what more would you need to do than just _exist_?” He glided over and leaned on the table, tapping just a finger against Tasuku’s cheek this time. “You’re _the Boy Wonder_! The _Prince_ of Buddyfight! You’ve had, what, maybe _four losses_ in the _four years_ you’ve been a cop? And you started _that_ when you were no more than _nine years old!_ _You_ have a power that previously went _completely undocumented_ , a _dragon_  as your _only family_ , the ability to bring cards, those sacred objects, into being _just because you wish it_ , a buddy that _turns into an item_ and even transcended worlds and _his own mortality_ for _you_!”

The doctor ran a hand through Tasuku’s hair, then grabbed it and wrenched his head up, as far as the restraints would allow him to. “There’s something _special_ about you,” his voice dropping low and dangerous, “and everyone around you can see it! Gaen Kyoya could see more of it than those pathetic _things_ you surround yourself with, but I can do _better_ than him.

“I’m going to reach deep, _deep_ inside of you, Tasuku, and I’m going to find what makes you so special. I’m going to drag out everything you are, and I’m going to make everything that makes you _you_ my own.”  


He dropped the boy’s head onto the table, and then turned away again. “Besides,” he said, producing a bag marked _O Negative_ from asmall, cold-looking cabinet, “you know where we _are_ , don’t you? This is _Kyoya’s_ lab. I’m sure he has cameras _everywhere_. Do you think he’s watching this, hmmmm? Just _watching_ this happen to you?” An IV rack, tubing, needle, tape, another rubber strap--practiced hands went through the motions so smoothly, so delicate that Tasuku couldn’t feel it when the needle went in. Or maybe he was just feeling a little numb, after everything.

 “Now, remember what I said about _needles_? This one’s t’make sure you don’t bleed out and _die_ on me, so make sure you don’t move too much!” The doctor began setting things onto a tray, a small pair of scissors, forceps, two long tools Tasuku couldn’t recognize, a scalpel--

“But don’t you worry about _thaaaat_ , Tasuku darling! We’ve got something much better to think about riiiight _now_!” Gara brought the tray over, grinning far too widely, lollipop stuck between his lips. “Wanna hear a fun science fact? A loooong long time ago, back when we still had _wars_ \--you’ve heard of those in your History class, right?--when the _casualties_ would get to be too much and the doctors and medics on the field just _weren’t enough_ , they’d hire veterinarians to work on the injured and dying! Y'know, veterinarians worked on animals, but _they_ could work on humans just as well, oooor so it’s said!” He picked up the scalpel, attention now turned towards Tasuku’s bare torso. “I’ve _only_ ever worked on monsters before. How d'ya think this’ll turn out for you?”  


Tasuku tensed up, not even wanting to think about the possibility Gara had just laid before him. He didn’t want to look at the scalpel, tracing the air just above his stomach as if it, rather than the doctor holding it, was trying to decide where to cut first. He didn’t want to think about how it’d feel--or even what’d be _happening_ to make him feel it. He wanted to be home--coming back from school to his apartment with tiny piled messes in the corners that Jack would nag him about, waking up to a tiny dragon in a tiny apron shoving breakfast in his face when he missed his alarms, Jack saying goodbye every morning before returning to his deck when he left in the morning--

“Well then, let’s _open you up_ , shall we?” Tasuku watched the scalpel cut into his stomach, just above his navel, and he couldn’t even feel it as it drew a red trail up his chest. “Hmm, what should I get _first_ , some _boooone_? Muscle? Think you’d miss part of your stomach very much, _dollface_?” The scalpel rasped against Tasuku’s ribcage and he winced--and that was enough to make the incision through his torso start stinging, pulsing through his entire body until it was something bigger, something more. “I _guess_ you’ll have to keep your lungs, and I don’t think I couldn’t puncture your diaphragm without some _severe_  consequences...I wouldn’t want you to _break_ too eeeeasily!”  


“Jack...” He hadn’t meant to say his buddy’s name out loud, and it hurt to speak. But all Tasuku wanted right now was for Jack to swoop in and save him, knock Gara away and take him somewhere safe. “Jack... _please_....”  


Gara laughed, putting the bloody scalpel on the tray and picking up the small pair of scissors. “He can’t _heeeear_ you! There’s no one here but _you ‘n me_ , sweetheart!”

No. _No._ That wasn’t right. Gara had said it himself, there was someone else here, someone else who could _hear_ him--the scissors started cutting something inside his body, and it _hurt_ , he couldn’t tell where it was or what it was but the pain stabbed through him, crashed through him, building on the anger that there was _someone_ who could be stopping this--

“ _Kyoya!_ ” Tasuku screamed, and he could feel shameful, shameful tears rolling down his cheeks to match his shameful cry for help. “ ** _Kyoya!_** I know you’re there! _I know you can hear me!_ You can--you can _stop him!_ ” His lungs sucked in air, while they still could, and it hurt so badly, but he desperately screamed up at the cameras again, “ _Please_ , Kyoya! _You_ \--”  


His burst of anger-filled strength faded, and he sank weakly onto the table, not that he could have gone far in the first place. Sobbing, tired, hurting, Tasuku had already abandoned the pride that would have kept him from saying his next words, pleading and desperate for _something_ to happen. “You didn’t even g-give him permission to do this to me... Why won’t you make him stop?”

The doctor was silent, pulling some small _thing_ out of Tasuku’s body with the forceps, and then he looked up at the walls, waiting. _Waiting_. The moments rolled by, long and infinite, as they both waited for something to happen.

Nothing did.

“Ooh, what’s _that_? Do you _heeeear_ that?” Absolute silence, as Gara’s mocking grin cut deeper than the scalpel had. “Nothing! _Nothing!_ And _what_ did you say about him ‘ _giving me permission_ ,’ hmmmm? Are you some sort of _toy_ of his?” He laughed, long and loud, and grabbed Tasuku’s bangs and dragged their faces close, so close he could feel the doctor’s sweet-stinking breath on his lips. “I expected _better_ from _the Boy Wonder Cop_!”  


He dropped Tasuku, and he slammed hard against the table. Everything hurt so much and he just wanted to hide and curl into a ball and cry, but he couldn’t move. He couldn’t do anything anymore, that stupid horrible lollipop weighing down his tongue too much to even protest. “Ahh, was _all this effort_ I put into you here worth _nothing_? Are you _nothing_ without someone telling you what to do? _Pretty_ little knight, can’t do anything without your _precious_ little _master’s_ orders!

“I saw the news, Tasuku. I don’t live under a _rock_. I _saw_ you there, clad in armor, fighting for ideals that condemned millions, _billions_ of people, fighting for _Gaen Kyoya_ under the banner of _justice_ and that _power_ of yours! And now you’re _begging for help_? Oh, how the _mighty_ have _fallen_!” The doctor dropped the scissors carelessly on the tray of instruments, and Tasuku started feeling woozy. Too much was happening, and his stomach was still wide open for everyone to see. At this rate... “There’s still _one last person_ you haven’t asked for help, y’know? Know who it is?”  


Tasuku tried to shake his head, but he couldn’t even move that anymore. Not that Gara cared--he just kept talking, that rough lilt of his punctuating every word. “That’s right, Tasuku darling. It’s _me_! But, y’ _see_...” Gara tapped his fingers agains Tasuku’s cheek again, and the cop was barely aware of it. “ _I don’t want to_.”

Tasuku’s consciousness faded, and the last thing he heard was a very worried “Uh-oh.”

\----

When Tasuku awoke, the only thing he could see was a drab stucco ceiling above him. He’d seen a ceiling like that before, during the rest of his time in this hotel. He grunted and tried to sit up, but his whole body hurt for some reason--it felt like he’d gotten into a fight, or maybe several fights, and lost all of them.   


Eventually, he managed to sit up, groaning, and there was Jack, asleep at the foot of the bed, not a care in the world. A slip of paper floated off his chest, and as he reached down to get it, he saw a bandage over his wrist, and another covering what looked like a newly-forming bruise on the inside of his elbow. Where did those come from?

Tasuku tried to think back, trying to figure out if he’d _actually_ gotten into a fight last night, but his mind was blank. It felt like...maybe...he’d had some sort of really bad nightmare, maybe? But that didn’t explain new injuries.

He scratched at his stomach, and winced--he pulled up his shirt, and there, right where he could see them, were stitches, pulling his skin together from his stomach all the way up to his chest, halfway up his ribs. A chill went down his spine-- _something_ happened last night, and he couldn’t remember what.

The paper--maybe there was something on it? Tasuku picked it up, praying that there’d be something to give him a clue to what had happened, but the only thing on the paper was a messily written _Til next time!_

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. okay so i did a lot of research to make sure these procedures were right (the reactions less so because i believe in certain artistic liberties for drama) without relying on my own memory, BUT if you know some fun and funky details i missed or got wrong, feel free to tell me @ megamagearna.co.vu and i'll fix it up!
> 
> 2\. gara's tone and speech patterns are rlly hard to write in english which is why all those italics and elongated words are there. i KNOW it looks bad but that's literally just how he talks
> 
> 3\. i came to the conclusion that gara probably calls all his patients -chan so trying to translate that decently into english turned into very bad pet names. that's all i've got for you


End file.
